Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XII: Preventive Action of the Police
Section 172: Persons bound to conform to lawful directions of police
In plain words
Everyone must follow lawful directions a police officer gives while doing their duty under this chapter. The officer can detain or remove anyone who resists or ignores such a direction, and either take them before a Magistrate or, in petty cases, release them as soon as possible within twenty-four hours.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
(1) All persons shall be bound to conform to the lawful directions of a police officer given in fulfilment of any of his duty under this Chapter.
(2) A police officer may detain or remove any person resisting, refusing, ignoring or disregarding to conform to any direction given by him under sub-section (1) and may either take such person before a Magistrate or, in petty cases, release him as soon as possible within a period of twenty-four hours.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 12 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 172
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.